


Is it really loyalty?

by Apollo_Crossing



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Heartbreak, How Do I Tag, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Short
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-24 16:10:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20910431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apollo_Crossing/pseuds/Apollo_Crossing
Summary: Valerie is happily coupled with Bobby in the Villa. But a big secret being exposed can change all of that.





	1. The Truth

It's a quiet day at the Villa. A rare occurrence, if Valerie can be honest. There's no drama for her to get dragged into, no one coming to her to fix their problems or give her advice. Hell, not even a challenge or a text to stir up drama. It's just her and Bobby, relaxing in the daybeds while sipping on mimosas while Bobby casually rubs his hand along her thigh. Not in a sexual way, but a light way that brings more comfort than fanny flutters. 

'This is the life.' She thinks to herself. Nothing could bring down her mood.

"OMG REALLY??!" Valerie flinches as Chelsea's shrill voice pierces the air, cutting the peaceful silence like a hot knife to butter.

"Think it's a text?" Bobby asks her, his eyes drifting up to the bedroom window before looking back at her, his golden-hazel eyes practically twinkling as they look at her. She smiles at him and shrugs. "We may as well go see what the fuss is about." She suggests.

The pair makes their way upstairs where everyone seems to oddly be gathering. "What's all the noise? Is there a text?" Valerie asks as she steps into the room. Almost immediately, the atmosphere gets tense and everyone turns to look at her. Some looking uncomfortable or guilty while a couple looks more angry at her. 

She's about to ask what happened, when she sees a small but very familiar book in Hope's hands, causing her to both feel a chill and a flush of heat. It's a simple burgundy book with a couple of sparkling Lisa Frank animal stickers on it. A book she knows all too well as her private journal. And Hope is sitting on the bed with it in her lap and the Islanders surrounding her like it's some storytelling circle. "Why do you have that?"

"You left it out." Hope says and Valerie knows it's a lie. Everyone at the Villa knows she writes in the thing, it's not like she keeps it a secret. She writes a small passage or two and slips it in her pillow case, under the actual pillow, almost every night before she sleeps. "And you have some explaining to do. Does Bobby know what a snake you really are?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Valerie says, her steely tone almost betraying how anxious she's getting. She can feel all eyes burning into her, including Bobby's, but all she can focus on is her little book of secrets, leaking out words and thoughts she never said. She manages to briskly walk over and snatch the book back and close it, like some desperate hope that all her secrets will be sucked back in.

"Really?" Hope says, standing up and glowering down at Valerie but with a smug look in her eyes. Like she knows things that could ruin her. And in this situation, it can. "Because in there, you talked about how you wouldn't mind having multiple partners. Does Bobby know that you're snaking around behind his back? So much for you being so loyal."

"It's not like that!" Valerie snaps back to her. "You have no idea what you're talking about and you should mind your own fucking business."

"Val?" Bobby's voice sounds out behind her, with a tone she's never heard before. It's soft and fragile. Full of sad resignation. She dares to turn back to look at him and he looks like he doesn't want to believe this half story that's being told to her, but looks sad, angry, and confused. "What exactly is Hope talking about?"

"It's nothing." She says to him. "Can we please just talk about this later?"

"I think we all want to hear it." Lottie says, a cold look on her face that Valerie can see clearly. "It said that you're polyamorous, but how do we know it's not some excuse to try and graft on all the guys here?"

"I never did that! You know I've only had my eyes on Bobby." She says as tears sting her eyes, feeling small as everybody starts to turn against her. "I did nothing wrong. I never grafted on anyone else."

Lucas steps forward, a slightly smug look on his face. "Are you sure? I think we had a few moments."

In that moment, Valerie sees red as she blinks back tear and chucks the journal as hard as she can to his face, not even able to feel the satisfaction of the sound of the loud smack and the cry of pain and anger. "You delusional LIAR!" She says and storms out of the room, feeling herself starting to need air, to need space. Not even noticing how she practically shoves Bobby out of her way in her near frantic escape. 

She's not sure how she got there, nor exactly when, but she finds herself on the rooftop terrace, sobbing into her knees. The extent of her sexuality wasn't supposed to come out. Not like this. Not when she wasn't ready. She doesn't even notice when a shift in the couch's weight happens, but she does stiffen when she hears an all too familiar voice, heavily with a Scottish accent.

"Valerie." Bobby says, his tone almost too cold and too far away, like he's detaching himself just to make it through talking to her. "What just happened? What was she talking about?"

She sniffles and looks up, rubbing some tears from her face and eyes. If she wasn't so upset, she'd probably think about how much of a mess she looks like. Messy hair with puffy red eyes, tears staining her flushed cheeks, and smeared makeup. "She blew it out of proportion. She blew everything out of proportion." She says and takes a shaky breath to try and calm herself. "I am polyamorous, but I never went behind your back with anyone. You have to believe me. I wouldn't do that to you."

"How come you never told me this? You know how much loyalty means to me. Why didn't you tell me you can't be loyal?"

"I can be! I have been loyal to you this whole time." She says, desperate to plead her case. "I haven't been a snake to you, no matter what dumb things Lucas may say."

"Then explain it to me." He says, looking more upset and hurt than she's ever seen him. "Explain to me how you can be loyal to me with you being with multiple people. Explain why you never told me this sooner."

"I wanted to tell you." She wants to reach out to him and touch him, but the air is so tense between them, it's like looking at him through a force field. "I just couldn't. Not here in front of all these cameras and with those girls around." She says, trying to calm herself down some more. "You remember how they treated me when I didn't have a couple, right? They treated me like I was an enemy anytime I even so much as tried for a casual conversation with a guy. If they knew about me being poly, they would probably have labeled me as Public Enemy #1 until they managed to kick me out the Villa." She tries to explain to him. "So many people have given me shit about how I am. They called me a liar and a cheater. Saying I only used that as an excuse to get around or that they think I'm easy and will sleep with anyone, even if I'm in a monogamous relationship." She says and finally reaches for him, holding his hand, feeling hurt when his hand lays passively in her own. 

"I never did that to you, and I never would have. I normally tell people I'm interested in from the beginning of the relationship so they can make a choice to continue a relationship with me, but I wanted to wait until we were on the outside to tell you. So you would have had a choice?"

"Was this really a choice?" He asks her incredulously, like he's trying to make sense of some terrible dream. "Making me fall for you and once we're outside and I think you're finally all mine, you tell me that you may be tempted to go to other people? Did you expect me to accept this? How do you think that would have made me feel? Am I not enough for you?"

"I'm really sorry." Valerie apologizes again. If possible, she would apologize a million times over to get him to stop looking at her like she was a stranger. "I never wanted to hurt you. I was never planning to hurt you. This isn't how I wanted things to go."

"Well, it's too late for that." He says and stands back up, a sullen and resigned look on his face, his words breaking her heart. "I don't think I can do this, Valerie. I… I really thought I could handle all your quirks, like how you refuse to wear socks to bed or how you need at least four pillows on your side of the bed to be comfortable. But polyamory? That's… that's too much."

Valerie's tears start to fall again and her voice cracks. "Are you breaking up with me?"

He looks conflicted as he looks back at her, like his heart is breaking too, but he's already made up his mind. "I'm sleeping on the daybeds tonight. You can have the bed." He says and walks back inside of the Villa.

All at once, it's like her whole world crumbled beneath her feet and sucked her in. In her mind, she's begging him to come back. To turn around so they can talk this out. For him to hold her again and call her his Lass again. But he keeps walking and closes the door behind him.

She practically collapses on the couch, sobbing until her chest ached and her throat was hoarse. She's angry, distraught, and broken.

And she can only blame herself and her stupid heart.


	2. The Meeting

The next two days in the Villa are like a Cold War. Bobby and Valerie make a point to spend as little time in the same area as possible, but more so Bobby than Valerie. It's like they are fighting, but taking everything out on everyone else without confronting each other.

Bobby has been more reclusive than anyone has ever thought possible. People can barely even get a smile from him. He's just quiet and lost in a solemn daze, like his soul has been sucked out. Anytime some tried to cheer him up, he either didn't notice or just stared blankly at them. His cooking hasn't been the same, either. He's been distracted and out of it, fidgeting with his hands almost the entire time like he's never even touched a stove before. Any attempt made by anyone to help him, he's snapped at them like an icy whip, not wanting to be bothered.

Valerie, on the other hand, has been more openly emotional, moody, and hostile. If she wasn't crying to herself over a half eaten bowl of cereal, she was snapping at almost anyone that attempted to even approach her. If anything, the only one safe from her fury was Chelsea, who had apologized because she wasn't aware it was her private journal. Even then, Valerie kept the perky blonde at an arm's length, keeping conversations brief and awkward.

The breaking point was when Valerie was in the kitchen, trying to brew some tea, something she's been substituting for most meals. Lucas had approached her to try and graft and it didn't go so well. No one really knows what happened, other some nonsensical screaming and Lucas rushing out of the area to dodge a mug and some fruit that was thrown at him. He still won't talk about the details.

Basically, their breakup has turned the Villa on its axle, making everyone feel like they're walking on eggshells around either of the pair, leading to their 'meeting' in the bedrooms, a place both Valerie and Bobby have been avoiding.

"Okay, so about Bobby and Valerie." Marisol starts off, leaning a bit into Graham's side. "We need to find a way to get them back on speaking terms." She says to the group of gathered Islanders. Normally, the Villa would be okay with one of the strongest couples breaking up, since it would give them a chance to win. However, no one anticipated how much the whole Villa would suffer as a result.

"I totally agree." Chelsea nods in agreement, a set frown on her face. "I didn't know Val or Bobby could be so upset. I feel like I'm a kid watching my parents divorce."

Marisol nods at the comparison. "Yeah, I think we were too hard on Val. I mean, yes she's poly, but she never really acted on it while here."

"Oh, please." Hope rolls her eyes a bit. "We don't know all of what she's been up to. For all we know, she could have been doing some serious grafting behind all of our backs and we wouldn't have known. Wouldn't that have been breaking Girl Code?" She says and directly turned to Lottie for support.

"Yeah, it would have been." She says but the frown on her face shows that she's uncertain. She doesn't really recall any instance where Valerie has shown any interest in anyone other than Bobby. "Everyone, be fully honest. Has Valerie grafted on anyone in this room since they've known her?"

Everyone looks around but no hands were raised. Even Lucas looks resigned to the fact, lightly rubbing his still bruised nose from the journal connecting to it so harshly. "I really wish I could say she has. She's been set on Bobby since the beginning."

"I see." Marisol nods and looks around again. "Who here has been rejected by Val?" This is when hands start to raise. Lucas, Gary, Ibrahim, Marisol, and even Noah reluctantly raised his hand, earning a glare from Hope. "WHAT?"

"It wasn't like that." He quickly defends himself. "It was at the beginning, when she was single after Priya coupled with Bobby? She approached me and I thought she was trying to chat me into coupling with her and went out and told her I already planned to choose Hope. She quickly set me straight and told me that she wasn't interested in me and just wanted to try and make friends during her time here. I felt like a right jerk for making that assumption." Noah runs the back of his neck, still feeling slightly guilty for that incident. 

"So we can all agree that Valerie has been extremely loyal to Bobby, despite her being polyamorous?" Marisol asks and everyone nods. "Good. Now, I think we owe it to her to help her get back with Bobby. She's always helped us with our dramas and it won't be fair to leave her to deal with this alone."

"Yeah!" Chelsea says and turns towards Hope. "Remember when you was fighting with Noah about that hoodie string? She totally helped you both out." She says, causing both to flush red with embarrassment and earning a slightly amused look from Marisol.

"Okay, so how do we even get them back together?" Lottie asks, folding her arms across her chest. "She won't even talk to us, and I don't blame her after we went through her journal and accused her of being a snake, causing them to break up in the first place." Even though, most of that stuff was Hope and her own doing. She does feel really bad now, especially with the realization that they threw around baseless accusations just for the simple fact that they figured out that Valerie didn't mind having multiple partners, even without proof that she has multiple people she's after.

"She talks to me." Chelsea pipes up, all eyes turning on her again. "Well, sort of talks. It's not like it used to be but she doesn't give me any mean looks anymore since I apologized. I really didn't know it was her private journal." 

Hope frowns for a bit and then sighs. After all, it was her that dug through the pillowcase and skimmed through the pages, then exposed her as soon as she found something incriminating. She knows she's been insecure and overbearing and just took it out on the one girl that seemed so put together and confident about her own couple. She does want to be in the strongest couple, but never thought she'd go so low as to sabotage someone who genuinely wants things to work out, regardless of the competition. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have snooped and blabbed like I did. I'm a bit hurt she never told us, but with how we acted, I see why. We really need to apologize. Well, mostly me."

"We do." Lucas agrees, also feeling guilty. He definitely wanted a chance with the gorgeous woman and made himself look like an ass as he persisted. He was mostly jealous of Bobby for having such unconditional loyalty from her. "But even if she accepts our apology, slim chance that may be, how do we get them talking again? I've seen Bobby walk out the kitchen in the middle of cooking just because she walked in. We had to step in to stop everything from getting burned."

"I actually have a plan." Marisol pipes up, a sly smirk on her face.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is short, please forgive me T-T. And the title lowkey sucks.


End file.
